Hammerless automatic small-arm.



W. J. WHITING.

HAMMERLESS AUTOMATIC SMALL ARM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. 1914.

1,143,472. Patented June 15, 1915.

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w.1. WHITING. HAMMERLESS AUTOMATIC SMALL ARM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1914.

1,143,472. Patented June 15, 1915.

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W; J. WHITING. HAMMERLESS AUTOMATIC SMALL ARM.

APPUCATION FILED JULY 20. 1914.

1,143,472. Patented June 15, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTOYLITHO" WASHINGTON, D4

WILLIAM JOHN WHITING, OF HJ-XNDSWORTI-I, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

HAMMERLESS AUTOMATIC SMALL-ARM.

Application filed July 20, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM JOHN WHIT- ING, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 111 Antrobus road, Handsworth, Birmingham, England, director of Public Company, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hammerless Automatic Small-Arms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to hammer-less automatic pistols and other small-arms of the recoiling breech-sleeve type, and consists in certain improvements as hereinafter described in the construction of the breech sleeve, in the arrangement of the recoil-absorbing and sleeve-return spring system, and in the construction and arrangement of the striker element of the hammerless lock or firing mechanism.

According to the said invention, the breech-sleeve is adapted to contain a spiral spring that functions to absorb recoil and to return the sleeve to its normal position after each discharge, and it is also fitted with a slid-ably-mounted and spring-infiuenced striker which is cocked, or taken into engagement with the sear of the lock mechanism, by the said breech-sleeve during its rearward or recoil movement, while the striker-spring is adapted to be compressed during the cocking movement of the striker slide and simultaneously with the compression of the sleeve return-spring, and therefore functions as an additional orauXil iary recoil-absorbing spring. Further, the striker slide and its spring are so arranged that they also serve as the ejector of the arm,

while the breech-sleeve, with the striker and the springs are so constructed and arranged that they constitute a completely selfcontained unit which can be removed bodily from the frame of the pistol without necessitating any disturbance or derangement either of the parts that are located within the said sleeve, or of the sear and, other parts of the firing mechanism that are mounted in the said frame, although the said striker and springs can be readily detached or disassembled from the sleeve when required.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents, in longitudinal vertical section, with parts in elevation, a hammerless automatic pistol constructed in accordance with my invention. This View shows the breechsleeve in its normal or closed position and the striker cocked ready for firing. Fig. 2

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Serial No. 351,997.

is a larger scale view, showing, in longitudinal vertical section, the various parts of the breech-sleeve unit in the positions they respectively assume at the moment of impingement of the striker against the detonator of a cartridge in the barrel-chamber. F ig. 3 is another view,similar to Fig. 2, but showing the positions assumed by the parts of the breech-sleeve unit when the striker is cocked or reengaged with the sear of the firing mechanism during the recoiling movement of the sleeve. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the breech-sleeve unit separately, the striker and the inclosed springs when the said unit is removed from the frame of the pistol. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of Fig. 1 on the dotted line 00. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are transverse vertical sections taken respectively on the dotted lines 00 x and m Fig. 1. Fig. 9 shows four different views of a spring-abutment member which is secured Within the front or breech end of the breech sleeve. Fig. 10 shows three difl'erent views of another spring-abutment member which is contained in the rear end of the said sleeve but is normally anchored to the frame of the pistol. Fig. 11 shows three different views of the striker.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the'hammerless automatic pistol shown in the said drawings, the breech-sleeve a is machined to an inverted U section, and is provided with the usual ejection aperture 6 in the top of its forward part, while its inner side walls are formed, immediately above and parallel to their lower edges, with shallow grooves or channels a for engaging the breech-sleeve guide-ribs c on the frame 0 of the pistol. The interior of this sleeve is fitted, immediately behind the ejection aperture, with a rigidly-attached member d which serves as a front-abutment for the spiral return-spring e, and also carries a spring extractor-hook. This member d, whose formation is clearly shown in Fig. 9, comprises a solid piece (Z which is shaped to fit closely inside thesleeve and whose forward face is formed with a circular recess d which registers with the breech end of the cartridge chamber of the barrel and is centrally pierced with a striker hole 6Z while a part above the said recess is adapted to carry the forwardly-projecting extracshowing the position assumed by tor hook f which, in the particulararrangement illustrated, is slidably mounted in a vertical recess 6Z cut in the front of the piece (Z and is influenced by a spring f that has its bearing against the crown of the sleeve as shown in Fig. 6.

The rear side of the abutment piece (Z is formed with a seating that receives the forward end of a long rod or pin e that extends along the breech-sleeve from the abutment cl to, and through, the abutment h and serves asa guide for the spiral recoilabsorbing and sleeve-return spring 6 which surrounds the said rod and has its forward abutment against the said piece 01 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 8 and 4, while to provide for the cocking of the striker 9 during the recoiling movement of the breech-sleeve, the lower part of the piece d is formed with a rearwardly-extending tongue (Z (hereinafter referred to as the cooking extension) which is located in a plane a little below the striker-hole d and has a fiat upper surface to admit of the striker traveling over it when making its firing stroke. Further, the underside of the cocking extenslon of the said abutment member is formed with a central rib of suitable width d whose forward or nose end serves, during the return stroke of the breech-sleeve, to engage the uppermost cartridge in the magazine (see Fig. 3) and push the same into the barrel chamber, while the opposite sides of the piece (Z are provided with vertical ribs or feathers (Z which engage in corresponding and open-bottomed grooves or key-ways a? cut in the inner sides of the breech-sleeve (see Fig.5) and serve to hold the member (Z. in its prescribed position in the said sleeve; the two parts (Z, a, when assembled, being fixed together by. a removable transverse pin d while the open-bottomed key ways admit of the abutment member cl being withdrawn through the bottom of the sleeve,

when required, after the pin (Z has been removed.

The rear end of the return spring 6 has its bearing on a back-abutment piece it which iscontained and inclosed within the sleeve 0 but is normally anchored to the frame as hereinafter described. This abutment member h (the formation of which is clearly shown in Fig. 10) consists of a block k that is'shaped to fit inside the rear end of the breech-sleeve so as toallow the latter" to slide freely over the said member h' during its'recoiling and return movements, and its opposite sides are formed with horizontal feathers or ribs k that engage in corresponding side-grooves or key-ways a cut along the interior of the said sleeve, while' its upper'part'is formed with a bush'o'r -tubular chamber h ithat receives the rearend of the return spring 6, the said chamher being shouldered jinternally at 71f to provide a bearing for the said spring and constitute the abutment for the striker spring 2', and carries a. forwardly-projecting rod which is located in the same plane as the striker-hole d in the front abutment member, and is surrounded by the said striker spring, while the underside of the said back abutment is provided with a transverse shoulder or rib k which, when the parts of the pistol are assembled as shown 1n Flgs. 1, 2 and 3, bears against a stop' shoulder a at the extreme rear end of the pistol body so that, although the abutment is not actually connected with the said body, it is constantly kept against the bodystop, and is held stationary relative to the reciprocating breech-sleeve, by the rearward thrust of thebreech-sleeve and the springs e, 2'. In order, however, to provide for the sleeve and the whole of the parts (1 :6, 9, 7L and i being removed bodily or as one unit from the frame, the rear end of the breech sleeve is furnished with a sliding closureplate j which normally is secured to the said sleeve, (by means of a spring bolt for other suitable'fastening so that it lies above the stop-shoulder a onthe frame, and a little rearward of the abutment-piece h when the breech-sleeve is in its closed position as represented in Figs. 1 and 2. c When, however, the barrel and breech-sleeve units are unfastened (which, in the 'case of the pistol shown in Fig. 1 is elfe'ctedby withdrawing the end of the spring trigger guard 70 from the-recess 76 of the barrel-base) the expansion of the inclosed springs causes the breech sleeve to move forward along the frame and so bring the closure plate up to thebreech-sleeve unit in the positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5 until the said unitis re stored to the :frame and the said member 7), is reengaged with -1ts anchoring stop 30- But if 1t is required to ?'effect the removal of the springs and-striker for dismantling the breech-sleeve unit, this can be done (after the said unit has been withdrawn from the frame) by unfastening the closure plateand slidingit upwardly from the sleeve, whereupon the abutment-member 17L, together with the said springs and striker 'can be with- V drawn by way of'the open rear endof the said; sleeve.

i'ao I The striker 9 consists of a rectangularsectioned slide (see Fig. 11) whose opposite edges are engaged within the longitudinal grooves a in the sleeve, which grooves, in addition to providing an engagement for the ribs if of the abutment piece it, also serve as guides for the striker. The front end of the striker-slide carries a striker-pin 9 that projects through the hole d in the front abutment member on the said striker completing its forward stroke, and its rear end is bored at g to take the striker spring 2' which is disposed between the said striker and the stationary back abutment it, while the underside of the rear end of the slide is formed with a depending rib or lug g which is in alinement with the cooking extension (Z of the front abutment member (Z and serves as a shoulder for engaging the nose of the firing-mechanism sear. This sear, in the lock shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, consists of a spring-influenced and pivoted limb n which is arranged in a horizontal position in the frame of the pistol, immediately behind the magazine chamber and in the path of the cooking movement which the striker-slide is constrained to make during the recoil of the breech sleeve after a discharge or when the said sleeve is drawn back by hand for cocking purposes; it being understood that, dur ing such rearward movement, the striker slide (after having completed its ejecting function as described later on) is forced back with the sleeve by virtue of the engagement of the cocking extension (Z of the breech-sleeve member (Z with the shoulder 9*, and is made to thereby travel over and displace the sear and tension the sear spring, but when the said sleeve has about completed its rearward stroke, the front of the shoulder g clears and comes behind the rear or nose end of the said sear, whereupon the latter is raised by its spring into cocking engagement with the striker, as shown in Fig. 3. During this recoiling and cocking action, both the breech-sleeve and the striker springs are compressed between their respective abutments, and consequently the striker-spring 2' serves as a secondary or auxiliarv spring which assists the primary spring a to take up or absorb the recoil. of the sleeve, while after the striker has been engaged by the sear, the strikerspring is held in compression (see Fig. 1) and the sleeve-spring functions alone to return the said sleeve relatively to the cooked striker. The pistol is then readv for firing and when the sear is operated for disengaging the striker, the latter makes its firing stroke under the expansion of its spring, as shown in Fig. 2.

As the breech-sleeve closes and brings the front of its member (Z against the breech end of the barrel, the spring extractor-hook engages with the rim of the cartridge in the barrel chamber, while during the initial part of the recoiling movement of the breechsleeve following a discharge, the spring-influenced striker functions to effect the ejection of the spent cartridge shell positively but without violenceas soon as the latter has been withdrawn from the chamber by the extractor. This ejection results from the fact that, after the striker has made its firing stroke and has ignited the cartridge, it is brought to rest in the position shown in Fig. 2 in which the shoulder 9 on its underside is some distance behind the inner end of the cocking extension (Z of the sleeve-member cl, so that the striker spring is still free to act through the striker-nose for exerting a forward pressure against the cartridge head at a point below the part of the rim which is engaged by the extractor hook, and as the breechsleeve starts its recoil, the cartridge shell is held against the face of the member cl by the said extractor, and serves as a medium which transmits the initial rearward or cooking movement to the striker and starts the compression of the striker spring. This first compression of the said spring increases the pressure which the striker nose exerts on the cartridge head, so that immediately the cartridge-shell is fully extracted from the barrel-chamber, the strikerspring momentarily and slightly expands and imparts a slight relative movement to the strikerwhich thereupon levers the said shell out of its engagement with the extractor and ejects the same through the open aperture in the sleeve. This ejectingmovement of the striker brings the bent-rib against the cooking extension of the sleeve (see Fig. 3) which then functions to complete the compression of the striker spring and the rearward displacement of the said strikerinto cooking engagement with the sear.

In the pistol shown in the drawings, the striker which is mounted in the breech sleeve is associated with'the rocking sear of a lock that is mounted or carried in the frame of the arm and is combined with a dual-control automatic safety mechanism of the kind described in the specification of my concurrent application for patent No. 851,996 but I wish it to be understood the improved breech-sleeve, striker and spring arrangement herein described may be used in conjunction with a lock having a slidablymounted sear as shown in Fig. 12 of the drawings accompanying my said application No. 851,996, or with any other type or construction of lock that embodies a sear suitable for engaging with the striker and retaining the same in its cocked position either during the recoiling stroke of the said breech sleeve, or when the sleeve is drawn of the strikerfand its spring for the purpose of ejecting the spent cartridge shells in the manner herein described,'the cocking extension' at the back of the spring abutment member d 'may be dispensed with and the said striker may be arranged so that the shoulders at its forward end come into actual contact with the rear side of the said abutment on the striker-pin impinging against the cartridge detonator, which enables the sleeve and striker to move back together, or to make a collective movement, during the whole of the cooking stroke. And when the cooking extension is not employed, the striker need not be formed with a depending lug or rib for the sear to engage with, but may be provided, at the un derside of its rearward end, with any other suitable or convenient shoulder, according to the type or kind of sear which is embodied in the lock mechanism in the frame or body of the arm.

One of the principal advantages of the construction disclosed is the facility and cheapness with which it may be manufac-' tured and assembled. Thus, the breech sleeve proper may be made from a fiat metal blank and the various key-ways for thesliding parts can be machined While the blank is in flat form. Afterward, the blank can be pressed into its operative U-shaped cross- I section, at which time it is ready to receive the operating parts. The assemblage of the operating parts is sosimple that it can be performed by practically unskilled labor, the front abutment piece (Z being first slid into position in the groove a, ,-after which the striker,-the springs, and the rear abutment pieceh can be inserted from the open back end, and finally, the unit can be completed by inserting the rear closure piece 7'.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A hammerless automatic pistol or small arm comprising, in combination, a frame, a breech sleeve mounted thereon, an abutment piece fixed within the front portion of the sleeve, a loose abutment piece slidably connected to the sleeve, the frame having a stop against which the loose abutment piece bears, a recoil-absorbing return-spring interposed between said abutment pieces and exerting a thrust against the loose abutment piece to hold the latter against said step, a striker slidably connected to said sleeve and a spring interposed between said striker and said loose abutment piece, the sleeve being arranged to be slid on or off the frame for the purpose of assembling or disassembling.

2. A hammerle'ss automatic pistol or small arm comprising, in combination, a frame, a

breech sleeve mounted thereon, an abutment piece fixed within the front portion of the sleeve, a loose abutment piece slidably connected to the sleeve, the frame havinga stop against which the loose V abutment piece bears, a recoil-absorbing return-spring interposed between said abutment pieces and exerting a thrust against the loose abutment piece to hold the latter against said stop, a striker slidably connected to said sleeve, a spring interposed between said striker and said loose abutment piece, and a removable closure means for the rear "end of the sleeve, the sleeve being arranged to be slid on or off the frame for the purpose of assembling or disassembling and the closure means serving to retain the striker, the springs, and the loose abutment piece within the sleeve when the latter is removed from the frame.

3. A hammerless automatic pistol or small armcom'prising, in combination,a frame, a breech sleeve mounted thereon, an abutment piece fixed within the front portion of the sleeve, a loose abutment piece slidably connected to the sleeve, the frame having a stop against which the loose abutment piece bears, a recoil-absorbing return-spring interposed between said abutment pieces and exerting a thrust against the loose abutment piece to hold the latter against said stop, a striker slidably connected to said sleeve, a spring interposed between said striker and said loose abutment piece, the sleeve being arranged to, be slid on or ofi the frame for the purpose of assembling or disassembling and the striker being removable bodily with said sleeve, and a scar carried by said frame for cooking engagement with said striker. V

4:. A hammerless automatic pistol or small arm comprising, in combination, a frame, a breech sleeve mounted thereon, an abutment piece fixed within the front portion of the sleeve, a loose abutment piece slidablyconnected to the sleeve, the frame having a stop against which the loose abutment piece bears, a recoil-absorbing return-spring interposed between said abutment piece and exerting a thrust against the loose abutment piece to hold the latter against saidstop, a striker slidably connected to said sleeve, a spring interposed between said striker and said loose abutment piece, the fixed abutment piece being constructed to co-act with the striker in ejecting an empty cartridge, and a rearward extension provided on said fixed abutment" normally anchored to the frame of the arm, and a rear stop or closure-plate located at the back of the rear abutment; the whole of the said parts being arranged in the manner herein described so that they may be removed bodily with the breech sleeve when the latter is detached from the said frame and so also that the springs, the striker and the abutment members may be dis-assembled from the said sleeve when the rear stop or closure plate is withdrawn.

6. A hammerless automatic pistol or small arm comprising, in combination, a frame, a breech sleeve having an inverted U-shaped cross-section and having its sides provided with longitudinal key-ways, the frame having projections which engage in said keyways and which provide for the removal or assemblage of said breech sleeve by a sliding movement thereof, an abutment member fixed to said sleeve at the front end thereof, the sleeve having other longitudinal keyways above said first-named key-ways, a loose abutment member having projections which engage in said last-named key-ways, the frame having an end stop against which said loose abutment member bears, a sliding striker having its sides engaged in said lastnamed key-ways, a recoil-absorbing returnspring interposed between said abutment members, and a spring interposed between said striker and said loose abutment member.

7. A hammerless automatic pistol or small arm comprising, in combination, a frame, a breech sleeve having an inverted U-shaped cross-section and having its sides provided with longitudinal key-ways, the frame having projections which engage in said keyways and which provide for the removal or assemblage of said breech sleeve by a sliding movement thereof, an abutment member fixed to said sleeve at the front end thereof, the sleeve having other longitudinal keyways above said first-named key-ways, a loose abutment member having projections which engage in said last-named key-ways, the frame having an end stop against which said loose abutment member bears, a sliding striker having its sides engaged in said lastnamed key-ways, a recoil-absorbing returnspring interposed between said abutment members, a spring interposed between said striker and said loose abutment member, and a removable closure means for the rear end of the sleeve which serves to retain the striker, the springs, and the loose abutment member within the sleeve when the latter is removed from the former.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

lVILLIAM JOHN WHITING.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR SADLER, E. J. REEsE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

